I think we can all agree that being financially responsible is important, but is it the only thing we should be concerned about?
Myself, I don’t think so. I’m big on being keeping my financial house in order, but I think that’s second only to staying healthy. Without my health, no amount of money in the world will make me feel good. There are plenty of cheap ways to stay healthy.
That said, I don’t think that the two are mutually exclusive. Some people complain that they can’t get enough exercise without going to the gym, or that vegetables and healthy eating is too expensive, so it’s hard to be healthy on a budget.
To that I say, bull.
I’ve been living on only 45% of my income for the past year, and I can say that with the exception of extreme case (there are always exceptions) it’s entirely possible to be both healthy and frugal. Here are a few ways I manage to stay healthy on a budget.
Run, Run, Run
You don’t need fancy shoes, you don’t need expensive workout gear, all you need is your own two feet, those old sneakers that have been lurking in the back of your closet, and a little bit of courage. Running is a great free activity that can be done pretty much everywhere.
You don’t need to have a home gym, so stop with the excuses. Also, pro hint: Don’t let being embarrassed or thinking that you’re going to look like an idiot stop you. Your fellow runners are just happy to see you even trying, and you are already way ahead of everyone else who isn’t running.
Brown Bag It
Unless you are taking pizza pockets to work, odds are that the lunch you pack will be healthier than the fast food options available to you on your lunch break.
I typically make extra portions of meals the night before, and bring them with me the next day. It’s healthy, and vastly cheaper than buying your lunch every day.
Cut Out the Junk
I know this is an unpopular topic, but you can’t eat like crap if you don’t buy like crap. Cut out the ice cream, chips, cookies, pop and anything else that is processed.
You probably don’t need it, in fact, you probably don’t even need to replace it with something healthy, because if you’re anything like me, you consume far too many calories in a day anyway. This will definitely lower your grocery bill and make you healthier. I’m pretty good with this one, but I still have my once a week chip indulgence.
Use Your Own Two Feet as Transportation
This one I can’t make much use of, because I live in the middle of nowhere and the nearest town is 8km away. BUT, if you live in the city, where walking places is actually an option, I highly recommend using your own two feet to get you places! It’ll make you more fit and save you money on buses, trains and gas.
The majority of the population in North America is unhealthy. In fact, 2/3 of the American population is considered overweight! Yes it can be expensive to live a healthy lifestyle, but it doesn’t have to be.
The trade off is that instead of costing a lot of money, being healthy costs a lot of effort. It can be done though, especially if you follow some of these simple, healthy and cheap ways to stay fit.
What are you doing to stay healthy but still keep your budget intact?
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canadianbudgetbinder says
Some great tips Michelle. One that we really focus on is cutting out the junk. Not only is it not healthy we really don’t need it for our bodies. There are also alternatives. If we want chips we might cup up homemade olive pita and crisp up the wedges in the oven and make a nice avocado yogurt dip. Eating healthy is not as hard as some make it out to be. Transportation is a great way to cut back. Our friend works at the local University and ditched her car to take the bus and loves it. Not only does she get in a daily walk to the bus stop she pays less for petrol, parking and wear and tear on her vehicle. Living frugal also means living smart. It’s a mindset and certainly can be worked into any budget. Great post. Mr.CBB
Julien @cashsnail says
And being healthy is also frugal… Less visit to doctors (saving time & money), less medication & overall more happiness !
Lisa @ cents to save says
My husband and I have saved a lot of money by packing our lunch daily. Bringing a lunch from home is one of my better habits!
Mark Ross says
Walking, running, basically any forms of traveling with your own feet can really save you money and make you stay healthy. I definitely agree with everything you said there, all of those can really help us, readers, stay healthy. Great post!
DC @ Young Adult Money says
I brown bag it every single day to work and it really helps me eat healthier food versus cafeteria food or grabbing fast food for lunch. I do go to a gym, but it has the cheapest membership fees in the area and I try to go at least three times a week. I do agree with you that running can be a great way to exercise on a budget because you don’t need a gym membership.
Mrs. Pop @ Planting Our Pennies says
I started bicycling to work a few months ago (9 miles each way), and it’s definitely made a dent in our gas spending and the extra exercise is a bonus!
Thomas says
Exercise and planning are both key in saving money and staying healthy. The wifey brown bags it to work and she says its a life saver. Especially with all the junk people bring to work trying to share with everyone. We started parking the car farther away from places so we would have to walk more.
GamingYourFinances says
Biking is another great form of frugal transportation. We bike to and from work, and for local errands (within 5 miles). It’s fast and easy! Plus we get a lot of exercise and save a lot of money at the same time!
Snarkfinance says
Running, pushups, pullups, crunches… all free. I should mention however that basing the affordability of eating healthy on a percentage of income on a site where the author is on track to be making over $100K of side income annually is perhaps not the strongest way to argue for affordable, healthy eating.
Forcing yourself to walk longer distances is an incredible way to increase the amount of exercise one does.
snarkfinance says
My oversight! Sometimes, you know, I just suck.
Michelle says
Yes, this post was by Jordann. However, even though we are making more income lately, doesn’t mean that I still don’t have a low budget! We have been eating healthier than ever lately and are actually SAVING money 🙂
kelly @stayingonbudget says
Totally agree. Fresh produce is way healthier and actually less expensive if in season than any ice cream, chips or pop! I agree too with fitness–your feet can do amazing things when just moving!
[email protected] says
These are all awesome tips! I’ve been exercising outdoors a lot this summer. It’s free! =)
Kostas @ Finance Blog Zone says
Very glad to see someone recommending running! Too many others focus on things like gyms and stuff, which cost much more and often do much less!
Stefanie says
Agreed on all the above. I used to have some major indulgences like daily soda drinks and late night cheeto binges. Once I stopped keeping those items in my pantry/fridge I kicked the unhealthy habit- and saved $$. One of the healthiest and simultaneously money saving choices I ever made was switching all my beverages to water. I drink from the tap so it’s free!
Ashley says
I agree with all of these things! especially making extra helpings of dinner so that you can take it to lunch the next day. that is the best!
One of my stay healthy ideas… last night I went out and bought a $10 tennis racket from walmart. now my bf and I can play tennis when we’re feeling bored. its much healthier than sitting in front of the tv all night like we sometimes end up doing 🙂
Matt Becker says
Running is definitely a great source of free exercise, though for me any time I’ve really gotten into it I had to buy new shoes before long. I get pretty bad shin splints if I’m not careful about that. So it certainly wasn’t free, but definitely cheaper than joining a gym.
Brian says
While it is true you don’t need fancy shoes to run, if you plan on doing it alot a good pair of shoes is worth the price. Take the time, go to a local running store and get properly fitted. It makes the runs that much more enjoyable when you don’t have random pains.
Madame says
Great tips, Jordann. It’s true what you say about not needing a gym membership in order to get the physical activity that we need. I always thought of it this way too, but reluctantly, I signed up for a membership earlier this year to help motivate the boyfriend. Several months later, I can probably count how many times we’ve been to the gym together on both my hands! We’ve also been trying to eat healthier, with only lots of salad and veggies, but occasionally do sneak in junk here and there.
MonicaOnMoney says
Running for me is really the single best way to stay in shape. I love yoga too but it tends to get very expensive. Another idea is online workouts with your smartphone or tv.
Mr. Utopia says
Not taking care of yourself today will be more costly in the long run! Think about it, eating unhealthy and not exercising regularly can result in health issues down the road. In turn, that could lead to higher and more costly medical expenses especially in your latter years.
Alexa says
I have been eating a lot more healthy lately and I feel like I have more energy. Working out is what gets me. I am so out of shape I would love to run but I think I need to start slow and just walk. Maybe after a few weeks of that I can work myself up to a jog.
Tara @ Streets Ahead Living says
The last one I couldn’t agree with more– walking is such a great form of transportation. If a further distance is required, mix walking with a bike and/or a bus to not only get some exercise but cut down on transportation spending. Access to a car makes it so easy to go through drive thrus and eat a high calorie meal without moving. Walking takes a little more effort, plus it’s a great way to sort through your thoughts and then possibly think twice about getting that unhealthy meal in the first place.
Also, I bring my lunch everyday. Not only does it save so much money (it’s easy to spend $15 at lunch for takeout here on Seamless food delivery) but by controlling what you put in, you can use better, fresher ingredients that are much healthier.
Adam @ Money Rebound says
It’s so simple really isn’t it. Cut out the crap, start running more and hey presto, you’re healthy! And if you cut out the junk food you’ll probably save money, great tips.
Sean @ One Smart Dollar says
I love articles like this because it’s really easy to be able to stay in shape without spending a lot of money. It’s even easy to eat healthy food for less. It’s not just processed food that you can use coupons on.
Simon @ Modest Money says
Balance and moderation in all things. Its a good mantra to live by.
Looking at post, one thing is evident…living a healthy frugal life is absolutely possible but one needs discipline and not minding or caring what others are doing or saying about your lifestyle. You gotta have that mental fortitude to say run or brownbag your lunch instead of dropping by the gym or restaurant.
Perharps I can add biking under transportation. Its great for longer distances that you can’t walk to, excercises the body and saves the planet (well, in the long run!)
Budget and the Beach says
I quit my gym over a year ago and have managed to work out just fine without it. Granted, I live in great climate, so that helps. And I agree that cutting out the crap will help you save money as well. But I do find as I get older I spend just a bit more in “healthy, organic” type stuff. For instance I don’t buy milk, but instead I use almond milk. I don’t buy regular bread, but gluten free bread because it makes me feel better. But I’d rather invest in stuff like that that keeps me healthy an feeling good in the long run so that I can hopefully avoid doctor bills and medication in the future because I made unhealthy choices.
Nick (@ayoungpro) says
When I was trying to lose my “Freshman 15”, I was amazed at how much just avoiding eating out at lunch helped out!
Diedra B says
I’m sorry but I have to disagree with the run run run. I ran ran ran last summer right into torn cartilage that wound up costing me money and time at the physical therapist’s. I wasn’t even running all that much. Fortunately my work-paid health insurance covered most of it but I still had to cough up the co-pay.
Lisa E. @ Lisa Vs. The Loans says
Great post, Michelle! I agree, although the myth is that you have to spend a lot on health, it’s just not true. Walking, running, and even body weight exercises can be done in/near the comfort of one’s one home – free of charge!
Lisa E. @ Lisa Vs. The Loans says
I’m sorry, I meant Jordann!!!
Pauline says
I have started running a few months ago and you kind of need good shoes to avoid injuries. The cute top and shorts are not a must at all.
C. the Romanian says
I actually realized that since I eat healthier, I pay less! In my case, this means that I am cutting the costs of eating out and increasing the number of times I cook at home (or, to be honest, wifey cooks at home). As you said, mostly anything I cook at home with fresh produce from the farmer’s market nearby is a lot healthier than anything I can buy when eating out. And if we compare with restaurant prices, it’s a lot cheaper too!
Amanda says
I’d like to add “say no” and/or “know your limits” to this list. I’m the shining example of someone who didn’t follow this advice, and now my mental health is a mess because of it, in addition to all the stress and anxiety-induced physical issues.
Tahnya Kristina says
People don’t do enough walking in my opinion. I think that would eliminate a lot of problems in this world. That and staying away from 64 ounce sodas and snacks. Its amazing when other people come here from other countries and marvel at all the stuff Americans eat.
SavvyFinancialLatina says
Great tips! I love working out outside. Especially in area with trails 🙂
E.M. says
I bring my lunch to work all the time, and I have been trying to go on a walk almost every day of the week. Whenever I visit the city, I realize how much of a workout I would get each day if I lived there. I always go home tired! You are right that processed food costs a lot more – mostly for the convenience – and that buying unprocessed is the way to go. I need to work on getting more healthy recipes for inspiration.
Jim Lloyd Espiritu says
I completely agree with this post. We normally tend to give excuses not to exercise especially if there are no gyms or a great park around. Your tips are practical which I can use in my daily life.
Jim Lloyd Espiritu says
I completely agree with this post. We normally tend to give excuses not to exercise especially if there are no gyms or a great park around. Your tips are practical which I can use in my daily life.
Daisy @ Prairie Eco Thrifter says
Staying healthy can actually save money. I love when people say that they can’t work out because they can’t afford a gym membership. What do you think people did before gyms were the norm?! It’s just hard to get off the couch sometimes 😉
Alexandra @ Real Simple Finances says
I finally cancelled my gym membership, because I just wasn’t using it! I bought two Jillian Michaels DVDs for the price of 1 month at the gym, and both came with a 50% rebate inside them.
My problem with brown-bagging is that my job doesn’t have a microwave, which leaves me with cold or room temperature options. I can only eat so many salads and sandwiches before I’m sick of them! Luckily I’m leaving my job in 16 (!) days, and will have better access to heating options in my next adventures. 🙂
the Norwegian Girl says
I bring a homemade lunch to work/uni every day, so I always get a healthy, frugal meal, and I never waste money like my co-workers do every day!
Alana says
So often I see articles with similar titles to yours and they under-deliver. This one is great because following said tips are sure to increase health and decrease expenditure. Pinning and sharing on Facebook 🙂
Michelle S. says
Thank you so much Alana 🙂